Civil rights group launches Ohio voter hotline

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A group of civil rights lawyers and its state partner groups are launching a host of election protection efforts in battleground Ohio.

The Washington, D.C.-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law detailed plans at an event Wednesday.

The committee is the nation's largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition. It enters the fray in the wake of legal battles waged over Ohio's handling of provisional ballots, its early voting period and access to the polls.

The group says it will take steps to assure voter access amid early voting restrictions, precinct consolidations and polling location changes.

It says it will train volunteers and set up an election protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE to help voters and answer questions.